Pat McInerney, Rowing Ireland’s Coach Development Officer, explained, “The organisation wanted to create more focused national competition that would provide a platform for the better long term development of our scullers. The new competition calendar involves a series of Heads of the River time trial races for specific boat classes and is designed to give competitors a chance to test their skill and sharpen up for the shorter competition races in 2010.”
Left: Richard Coakley, who has competed at World Championships and the Olympics, will compete in Blessington this weekend
Pat continues: "The single scullers are drawn from clubs right across the country and the race involves separate time trial races for both women and men scullers. In the women’s race there are fifty five boats led off by Siobhan Jacob from Old Collegians Club, Dublin. The seniors are followed by a strong field of intermediate and junior scullers. It is very encouraging to see such a strong junior entry this year with thirty girls fighting it out for the first National Head sculling crown.
"The mens race has an impressive entry of one hundred and fifty five boats. They will be led off by Richard Coakley of Skibbereen Rowing Club (pictured left, photo courtesy of www.thewateredge.com) who was part of the Olympic team in 2008. Others challenging for the top senior spot will be Michael Maher (Dublin Commercial Club) and the very promising junior and current novice champion, Turlough Hughes (Kings Hospital School), pictured 2nd left (www.thewateredge.com).
"There are sixty-three junior men scullers entered which says a lot for the drive in recent years to promote sculling among beginners.
"The National Head race series continues with a double sculls race at the National Rowing Centre in Cork on November 28th, a fours race in Limerick on February 6th and an eights race in Galway on March 27th next. Through the summer months there will be a series of Grand League regattas at six major venues around the country, north and south. The new competition calendar also has two National Championship regattas, one in July and one in September."
Just in case you're unfamiliar with the term, a 'Head of the River' race is a time trial event with the predicted faster boats going off first. Boats are timed over a 4Km course from start to finish gates going off at ten second intervals. Boats can and do overtake, which leads to serious racing down the course and several boats pushing for the finish line together. This type of time trial racing is held throughout the winter months over longer distances.
Also pictured, courtesy of www.thewateredge.com, are Becky Quinn, Cathal Moynihan, Cormac Folan, and Siobhan McCrohan
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